ANOTHER FARM COUNTRY

 

When I head out to shoot, it’s often to farm country south of town, outside Kingsley.  It’s rich in sweeping landscapes, grassy marshes, and a variety of critters that live in these habitats.

 

 But there’s another area I’m beginning to explore that’s north of town, between TC and the village of Elk Rapids.

 

 It’s a rich farm country too, with many orchards and scenic vistas of them.

 

 

 Some farms are growing hops, a crop that has become popular with the rise of microbreweries.

 

 The area is also not far from East Bay and I photographed several water scenes.

 

 And as I drove the back roads, I often caught glimpses of Elk Lake.

 

 Being farm country, there were many interesting barns and outbuildings.

 

Some of the barns had hay hoods, those peaked, birdlike shapes at the gable end.

Some hay hoods looked like they may have been functional, used for lifting hay into the hay loft.

 But especially on newer barns, the hay hoods seemed to be for style and decoration.

 

 

Throughout the area, farm stands were ready to sell fresh produce to eager buyers.  It was a lovely area to explore, except for one thing.  I didn’t see any critters.  No cranes, hawks, eagles, or deer.  I’m certain they’re somewhere but I need more experience in finding their habitats. 

 

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